Good for you Oprah!

“I think bear is right. She had no right to do this with her money, she should have kept the money here in the U.S. and used it to go party with Paris, Lindsey and Britney.

Good grief...”

“WAIT JUST A MINUTE....Bear, did you say that in the MOTHER COUNTRY (to quote some of the Race Hustlers in this country) there is DISCRIMINATION?????NAHHHHHHHH...Say it ain't so, you mean in the heartland there is Discrimination? Maybe even ........SLAVERY????NAH...but everything from Africa is pristine, clean and good????/Thats what THE REEVVVVVRND and company keep telling us.”

“I do feel that one other reason many donate outside of the USA is because we have such a great welfare system. While many may think that our kids fall between the cracks of the system our poorest kids still have it way better than the average kid in 3rd world countries.

Another reason could be because they have a broader scope of humanity and don't look at helping their fellow human as a national thing but global thing.

If I were to think about where I could bring the most light to the world and make the biggest difference to humanity it sure wouldn't be here at home. It'd be where the most need is.”

“Always count on some here to completely twist what one is saying.”

“If your ethnic background is African-American, maybe building a school in Africa is "keeping your money at home?"

And I think that Oprah does a good job of putting a spotlight on areas of need. I'd bet all of those other celebraties are throwing down some coin, too.

I do laugh about how sheltered some of the people Oprah's audience seem, but I can't fault her for some of the charity she has tried. God knows she had lots of people reading with her book club. It's better than the Jerry Springer strippers.”

“Rarin' Nigal...and where the most need is right now...would be the Sweedish Bikini team training center...."Whom Can I send?"”

“Nigal,i know what you mean...the kids here have it made.

I go to brasil ,dominican republic at least 3 times a year on my own and bring school supplies,pay for school for kids and their unifroms and backpacks. Its not alot but you have to pay to go to school in the dr.

when you see shack after shack 10x15 no water,electric,dirt floor...well 8''of mud every day after rain and 10 people living there....well.or i can talk about seeing hundreds of 10 year olds that are homeless that will work all day hard just for a meal.But the thing is they are all happy cause they have hope.

So when people say how bad it is here ...i just shake my head.”

“So when people say how bad it is here ...i just shake my head.”
cold
6:22:08 PM
1/04/07

OK. Our ghettos are paradises compared to 3rd world ghettos therefore.....................everythings Okee Dokee and no one needs help?

Maybe comparing ourselves to other countries is irrelevant?”

“We do have the fattest poor people in the world.”

“Once the celebs, media, and - this is critical - the security force turn toward stateside, the facility will be picked cleaner than a dead elephant.”

“That's so cool cold! I'd love to be able to travel like that. Thanks for doing what you do and making the world a better place.”

“One of the other things I liked about what Oprah did was the fact that in stead of just throwing money at a problem, where you never know if the money goes where it should, she took the time to get involved personally.”

“No im not saying that we should walk away from our own at all.They live in a corrupt world and the standard of poor must be seen in person to really understand.

We have the tools and money for change...they dont because of no funding.”

“No amount of money in the world will help the poor that do not wish to change.”

“We have the tools and money for change...they dont because of no funding.”
cold
7:35:15 PM
1/04/07

I'll accept that. You go to both Brazil and the DR?”

“LOL>...it is not an inadequate distribution of MONEY....it is the inadequate distribution of FREEDOM.”

“StoveStomper, it's a problem when you want to make a better life for yourself and choose to go to collage...but without money or means of making any....due to no work,im sure its hard to keep going with your chin up.”

“cold, I was refering to the poor that will not work in the USA.”

“Bearmagnet,I think what your tring to say ...in a nice way ,why not here help?

Well i do alot and will keep doing here.Every little bit helps these poor kids.I think the up bringing in the states has fallen and also finding teachers that really care....and pay them more money?”

“No, I was asking if you go to both brazil and the DR. If so, where? My wife spent 2yrs in one of the worst slums in the DR through Peace Corps. She still has ties there and an ongoing project, I believe.”

“StoveStomper,sorry.If they dont want to work ..simple they get 0 and the money goes to underprivileged students with 4.0's for scholarships,orphanages,ymca,and so on.If your able to work than do so.”

“I go to Santiago and Puerto plata.In Brasil i go to Sao luis.”

“The difference is Cold, that if you go to Pedro's house to help and see he had Two cars with Spinners and a 5,000 dollar stereo, two microwaves, a Plasma TV etc....you can walk away.

The first real Charity in the US was the Jewish Welfare Relief. Anyone could apply to the Synagoge they would send two men to check the conditions....and would provide accordingly. The control was if they got there and there was evidence of sloth, laziness or taking advantage of the situation, they could turn and walk away.

Today we have so much abuse in the system....I would love to see a way we could issue a "death penalty" (not kill the abusers but cut them off for LIFE). So if "A" steals or cheats the system they lose all ALL government assistance for life, Scholarships, Social Security, Medicaid, everything.”

“Dikembe Mutumbo (NBA player)is another famous person that is a personal hero to me.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/4125439.html”

“Nigal,I remember when he first signed,and how humble he was thanking everyone.That's a man you want your kids to look up to.I also respected bono for many years.Another is Pedro Martinez,he has build schools in the D.R. plus given millions and let's the kids know school comes first and then baseball.I'm a die hard YANKEE fan ,but i respect his good heart.

Btw thanks for the read.”

“I admire Bono for his personal efforts but I do not care for his trying to shame America into forgiving national debts though. This is where he crosses into the gray area of forced charity.”

“I think his childhood,homeland has alot to do with some of his actions.”

“Could be but like I say, I don't care who ya are if you do things to help others you are brigthening the world so I applaude him. I also like how the whole RED thing is using fashion and trends to raise money for African AIDS. It'd be cool if charitable giving became trendy and everyone wanted to do it.”

“That would be great,and i think it could get off the ground by the stars around the world,to step up to the plate.”

“It's Not All About the iPods, Oprah

By Eugene Robinson
Tuesday, January 9, 2007; A15

"There can't be more than a handful of people on Earth who are better at choosing their words than Oprah Winfrey. So I was stunned last week to read a quote from her that was so . . . so totally un-Oprah."

"...The razor-sharp contrast that Oprah drew between young people in South Africa and those in the United States gets all fuzzy when you read her "What I Know for Sure" column in the December issue of O, The Oprah Magazine.

She writes of 10 South African orphans, ages 7 to 14, whom she took under her wing several years ago, hiring caretakers for them, sending them to a private boarding school, buying them a big house and hiring a decorator "to personalize each of their bedrooms." Last summer, she said, she went to South Africa and dropped by the house unannounced.

"I found them all at the homework table off the kitchen, doing their work," she wrote. "That's a good thing. But when I sat them down in the living room for a conversation, everyone's cell phone kept going off." But "the inner spark I was used to seeing in their eyes was gone, replaced by their delight in their rooms full of things."

The girls had "long, braided hair extensions flowing down their backs" and were wearing baseball caps. In general, the kids "could talk about what they owned -- the latest portable PlayStations, iPods, and sneakers -- but they couldn't speak of what they'd done...."

Rest of article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/08/AR2007010801418_pf.html”

“death to harpo!”

“Presenting someone's opinion that agrees with yours in order to lend weight to your own narrow view? Way to step out on that limb. LOL!”

“Way to step out on that limb.

As opposed to kissing Oprah ass every time she takes a #&%!$ like the rest of America?”

““death to harpo!”
crash bang
12:11:33 PM
1/10/07

What about Chico, Groucho, Gummo, and Zeppo?”

“As opposed to kissing Oprah ass every time she takes a #&%!$ like the rest of America?

Yes, you are distinguished and a true individual. The rest of us are but sheep to commend goodness and charitable efforts in others. One day I hope to also be enlightened and wish her the worst and most unpleasant end possible. :)”

“I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, an Oprah fan. However, I have been following this thread, probably more out of morbid curiosity that anything else. For 2 weeks now BM has been railing about this thing, and as far as I can tell he has yet to give a valid reason why she should not do as she damn well pleases with her money. Why on earth do you or anyone else care how she spends her money. I can think of a lot of other things I'd like for her to do with it (give it to me, maybe), but frankly, it's none of my business.

Just my 2 cents worth.”

“LOL! And one day I hope to be as sarcastic as you, Nigal.

I do believe I discussed my reasons regarding my feelings of her actions, no matter how vitriolic they may have seemed. Do you see nothing of worth in the article I linked?”

““LOL! And one day I hope to be as sarcastic as you, Nigal.

Just as the virtuous and sinless Oprah advocates, work hard and your dreams can come true. LOL!


I do believe I discussed my reasons regarding my feelings of her actions, no matter how vitriolic they may have seemed. Do you see nothing of worth in the article I linked?”

While it was hard to tell from your edit of the article i did find value in the article. It shows that kids are the same the world over. So? What does that have to do with where and how Oprah spends her money on charities?”

“"kids are the same". Exactly. Except she didn't say they were the same.

Her rational was wrong and labeling inner city youth in such a way was doubly wrong. It's the last place you want to reinforce negative stereotypes, no?”

“What the fiddle fukk did she expect?
She is soooo disillusioned.”

“"kids are the same". Exactly. Except she didn't say they were the same.

"I found them all at the homework table off the kitchen, doing their work," she wrote. "That's a good thing. But when I sat them down in the living room for a conversation, everyone's cell phone kept going off." But "the inner spark I was used to seeing in their eyes was gone, replaced by their delight in their rooms full of things."

Now unless you want charts and graphs that flash neon and say "They are the same!!!", this is pretty much saying the same thing.

Her rational was wrong and labeling inner city youth in such a way was doubly wrong. It's the last place you want to reinforce negative stereotypes, no?

She came to this realization by actually going to the inner city schools. She WENT there. And apparently to the point she heard the same things over and over that she would stop going.

OK, now that we have dealt with that please allow me to pin you down and ask once again the question that keeps getting asked and ignored...

What does that have to do with where and how Oprah spends her money on charities?

And let me add another question, Having recognized the ill acts of Oprah and the damage she has done, what have you, YOU done to help the inner city kids and reverse the evil Oprah has wrought? I mean, you live within walking distance, don't you?”

“In the first article you posted, does she not say how unfortunate it is for inner city youths to just want ipods? That it's a shame they don't care about education? This "helps" her to become disenchanted with US schools and in giving money to develop an African school where "they" think differently?

The problem is in her statements. In her stereotyping. In saying African kids are different from American kids inner city kids in one article and possibly not seeing the exact opposite in another article.

I give what I can to charities and I do volunteer work when I can. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get any VIP's to come along or media to showcase my dazzle.

Maybe I should write Oprah?”

““In the first article you posted, does she not say how unfortunate it is for inner city youths to just want ipods? That it's a shame they don't care about education? This "helps" her to become disenchanted with US schools and in giving money to develop an African school where "they" think differently?

Go back to her statement rather than saying what you read into it Bear.


"I became so frustrated with visiting inner-city schools that I just stopped going. The sense that you need to learn just isn't there," she said. "If you ask the kids what they want or need, they will say an iPod or some sneakers. In South Africa, they don't ask for money or toys. They ask for uniforms so they can go to school."

She said they don't ASK FOR IT. This does not contradict her statements because they are not connected. In this statement she is addressing the responses to a question. The later one addresses the effects of the toys on the SA kids. The connection is yours and it is incorrect.

So once again, the fifth times a charm...

Who are we to say what and where Oprah spends the money that SHE made and saved?

No dodging, no deflection. Answer the question. :)”

“I answered the question. You are of the opinion that it is not valid. I am of the opinion that it is valid.

And I have the same right to say "you're an #&%!$, Oprah" as is your right to say "way to go, Oprah".”

“I answered the question. You are of the opinion that it is not valid. I am of the opinion that it is valid.

Really? Where?”

“You still haven't explained why it's any of our business how she uses HER money. You seem to be spending a lot of 1's and 0's on something that just doesn't matter.”

“And how about Bill Cosby and his comments and exhortations concerning black kids today? What he has said is way worse than what Oprah has said.”

“I've said it in several statements, Nigal. In several different ways. Apparently I still suck at communication.

Let me try this way: I can because she made some statements outside the scope of the charity. She made it political. And It's not reading into it, IMHO.

As to Bill, I'm having a hard enough time with one debate, dontchya think? And besides, he Loves Ben's Chili Bowl. I have a hard time arguing against someone with such fine and similar culinary tastes as myself.”

“Do we not live in America where a person is free to give their money where they wish? Heck she could have given it to the KKK for I care. Her comments were not outside the scope of her giving. Her comments were ABOUT her giving and why it went where it did.”

“Fair enough.”